


The Chance to Thrive

by Galtori



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Mass Effect 3: Citadel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-17
Updated: 2013-11-17
Packaged: 2018-01-01 19:38:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1047790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galtori/pseuds/Galtori
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two years after the Reaper Wars, Rear Admiral Shepard and his wife Major Ashley Shepard-Williams have two children and have just finished a tour of Outer Council Space. Now, everyone is coming back to the Citadel for some well-earned shore leave. But something, or someone, is plotting against them. ( This is an AU take on the Citadel DLC)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Our Home

**Author's Note:**

> This can be read as a sequel to another fic of mine (The Chance to Try) or as a stand-alone. So many thanks to all the people that I interacted with over the course of this Big Bang. It is my first BB, and it was so much fun. I'm so flattered to kick this off, and I can't wait to see what everyone else has contributed.

Andrew, Ashley, Adrien, and James Shepard walked into their new house, jaws dropping as they stared at the high ceilings, plant life, and large bay of windows. There was even a piano. But they didn’t have more than a minute before Anderson came from around a corner, greeting them with a smile.

“Uncle Ander!” Adrien shouted before he sprinted into the older man’s embrace. Anderson took the nickname and the hug in stride, smiling as he took a better look at the five year old.

“Hey, Adri. How are you doing? Enjoy your time on the _Normandy_?” Adrien bounced his head up and down in response. Anderson chuckled before turning and giving Andy his own embrace. “Admiral. Good to see you again.” Anderson turned again, giving Ashley a one-armed hug. “Ash, I see you’ve been well. And how has this little guy been? Hello there.” Anderson wiggled a finger at the newest Shepard, James Wrex Shepard. The pair had decided to name him after the two squadmates they lost in the year after the war. Losing both men had been difficult, but at least they had seen the end of the war. He was several months old, and made happy noises at Anderson.

“He’s been keeping us up, that’s how it’s been,” Shepard replied. He would be more than happy when he could get some reasonable sleep. Thank goodness Ash’s mom would be around.

“So nothing out of the ordinary,” Ash responded.

Andy was still amazed at the time they had spent together after the end of the war. It had been almost two years since the end of the war, and Ash had taken the whole ‘Mom’ role in such stride. She was able to go from gun-wielding Spectre and Major one minute to pacifier-wielding Mom the next without breaking a sweat. She had even spent most of her pregnancy with James on the _Normandy_ , leaving only a few weeks before delivery and coming back with the new baby in tow. And Andy had been overjoyed to spend those precious days with her on Rannoch in a newly built hospital, even if he had to split his time between diplomatic and guarding duties and his growing family. Karin had been there for the delivery since the _Normandy_ was docked, and nothing had seemed so perfect.

The pair of Spectres had had long conversations beforehand, and had decided to keep their family together. Adrien would have found it difficult to leave the ship and crew so soon after learning his father’s identity, and Andy would have been hard-pressed to miss his second son’s childhood. So they made things work. And while it hadn’t been easy, it had been more than rewarding.

“So, how about I show you around your new place?” Anderson grinned. Andy still couldn’t believe it.

“You do know that you don’t have to give it to us. The Council already offered us a living space on the Citadel,” Ash offered.

“But they’re giving David new quarters as a Councilor. These quarters would go unused, and I’ve seen the arrangement the Council would offer you. This is better,” Kahlee Sanders affirmed as she came around the corner, placing two duffel bags and a box by the door. “David and I are still gathering some of our things, but what we leave here can serve as furniture for you before yours gets delivered.” The long-time teacher then turned her attention to James, smiling at him. “Well hi. I don’t think we’ve met before. I’m Kahlee.” Ash smiled and made James wave his little fist.

“Say hi, James,” Ash cooed, and James responded with a gurgle.

“He’s adorable. Oh, David. There are still some datapads from your biography around the place.” Anderson shrugged in response.

“I don’t have any need for them. Khalisah already has my responses. I don’t know why you haven’t already wiped them. Anywho, they’re spare pads, and we all know I have too many of those. Take them off my hands, soldier.” He clapped Andy on the shoulder. “I’m going to put these in the car, Kahlee. Show them the house while I’m gone.” He said as he grabbed the bags. Kahlee nodded in response.

“If you want, I can show you the kitchen and where you can go to stock up on food. There are a few places I know that still deliver the groceries.” Ash turned to that conversation, following Kahlee and taking James with her.

“Do you want to go around and pick out your new room?” Shepard asked Adrien. He might as well have asked if the boy wanted sugar, given the barely contained enthusiasm he was greeted with. “Well, let’s go upstairs and look.” With that, the boy ran to the nearest stairs, climbing with a grin spread across his face. Moments like these were what Shepard loved most. His son was born while he was part of Project Lazarus, and Ash had only told him while they were fighting in the Reaper Wars. Missing the first two years of Adrien’s childhood still pained Andrew, but it made him cherish time with his son that he might have taken for granted otherwise.

 

Two hours later, the kitchen was stocked, the rooms were sorted, James was playing in the living room, and the care package from Ashley’s mother was already being used. Shepard was passing by the den when a pinging sound caught his attention. He walked into the room and found a terminal signaling that he had an unread message on his account. Unsurprisingly, Adrien had followed his father into the room, and was now using it as a new addition to the galaxy for his toy ships to fly in. Ashley followed a few minutes later.

“I thought we were spending the day settling into here,” she stated.

“I was just checking this message so this thing would stop annoying us,” Shepard explained as he glanced through the message. Apparently Joker wanted to meet at a sushi restaurant in the ward and talk shop about the _Normandy_. “And I’m glad I did. Joker wants to meet me for sushi.”

“Are you going to meet him?” she asked.

“I don’t see any reason not to. Care to join me?”

“I think I’ll stay here. Someone has to look after James.”

“Well, since Joker wants to meet, do you want to join us, buddy?” Andy asked, kneeling down to Adrien’s level. He all but jumped up and down in excitement.

“Can I? Can I, _please_?” Adri jumped into his father’s arms, looking at his mother in expectant hope.

“Alright, but you have to promise Mom that you’ll behave and do as Dad tells you,” Ash instructed before turning to her husband. “Pack a few things for while you wait. The last thing we want is for him to get fussy.”

“How about some coloring books?” Andy asked, and Adri happily bobbed his head. “Alright then. Let’s pack you some coloring books and markers.” Hopefully Joker wouldn’t mind him bringing Adri along. All the crew loved him, and Joker hadn’t indicated that he needed to talk about things Adri shouldn’t hear. And getting out would do his son some good. They had all been cooped up on the ship. Shore leave would be a good chance for him to run around like other kids his age.


	2. The Fish and the Fan

Adri enjoyed the ride to the Sushi restaurant, and so did Shepard. The Citadel had been relatively unharmed during the Reaper Wars, as it was now known, so most of the stores there were thriving while most home worlds were still being rebuilt. Many of these restaurants were now far more family-friendly, making Adri far more welcome than normal in one of the fanciest restaurants in the ward. Upon seeing their faces, the maître d' waved them forward, and many in line turned to see who was allowed such VIP access. But on seeing his face, many smiled and a few even saluted. Andy was still getting used to the fame and simply nodded a few times.

“Ah, Admiral Shepard. Your table is ready.” The pair were waved through, and Andy had to smile as Adri’s eyes got bigger than saucers when he realized he was walking on a fish tank.

“It’s like your cabin, but cooler,” he insisted, and Andy chuckled, walking up to the bar and hoisting his son into a seat.

“Bonjour monsieur’s, would you like a swirled fruit drink?” The bartender asked, and Adri was hooked, turning to his father.

“What do you tell the nice man?” Shepard prompted.

“Yes please!” The bartender smiled and set to working. “Would you like one with a little _kick_ , Monseiur?”

“No, I’ll just take what he’s having,” Andy responded, and a few minutes later, they were heading over to Joker’s table with two drinks.

“Hey, Adri. How’s moving into the new house going?” Joker smiled at the boy, pulling a chair out for him. “Shepard, Ash going crazy yet?”

“We haven’t gotten a chance to settle in, but that will come with time,” Andy joked.

“So, fancy place. You only had to save the galaxy, how many times now, to get a table here. But now we’re here. Although I wish I’d known about that drink,” he gestured at what they had, despite him having a far stronger drink. Adri quickly moved his glass away from Joker, and the adults chuckled. “I might have to order one of those myself. Though I’m rather spoiled. I want more umbrellas.”

“I’m the first Human Spectre,” Andy affirmed. “I’ll get you _two_.”

“Awesome use of power, boss,” Joker stated, and Adri fell into a fit of giggles. It put smiles on everyone’s faces, and Shepard felt his heart swell with love. He loved those giggles, and was glad for some down-time to hear them more often.

“So how’s the _Normandy_? The engineers treating her well?” Andy prompted, finally settling into why they came.

“It’s maintenance. They’re treating her well enough, but it’s always tough to let a bunch of strangers poke around in my ship.” Joker realized the words that slipped and quickly corrected himself. “Uh, your ship.”

“You and I both know that the best thing for her is to let her be taken care of, and let the techs do their thing.” Joker nodded in affirmation.

“I know, she needs an oil change. A space-tire rotation,” he conceded, and Adri giggled again. “I just don’t trust those aerospace engineers. Always taking the silverware.” Joker seemed to make it his mission to keep the conversation entertaining enough for Adri not to lose interest, and Andy was grateful. “But your email said you had something important you wanted to discuss. What is it?”  Shepard furrowed his brow in confusion.

“My email? I got one from you saying you wanted to talk shop.” Things weren’t adding up based on Joker’s face, and Adri was catching on too. Joke time was over.

“I didn’t send anything.” Now they were both concerned, but before they had time to discuss anything further, someone cut them off.

“Admiral! Excuse me. Sorry. Alliance business. Admiral, this is urgent!” A woman with dark hair in dress blues ran into what seemed like half the restaurant, and Adri gave his father a confused look.

“I don’t think that’s the umbrella lady,” Joker commented, and Adri giggled. Shepard then indicated the bag with coloring books between them. At that, the boy shrugged and began coloring.

“Rear Admiral Shepard, I’m Staff Analyst Maya Brooks, Alliance – excuse me,” the dark woman took a moment to salute him, to which he motioned for her to move on, “Alliance intelligence. There are people trying to kill you.” He and Joker looked at each other. Adri still had his head buried in the book, so Shepard took his mind off him for the moment.

“I think your intel is a little late, Analyst. We just finished going through a rough sector near Omega. We had some resistance from looters there. Or are you trying to say we didn’t root them all out?”

“No, nothing to do with that,” the woman insisted, fidgeting on the spot. “Other people. New people. They’re … It’s …” She trailed off, worrying her bottom lip, and Shepard momentarily confused the situation for one with his children. Though this shouldn’t be too different. _Get her to calm down, and her thoughts will get clearer._ She huffed loudly, and Adri looked up. Andy put a hand on his shoulder, and the boy settled back down, reassured. “Someone is hacking your account. Comm channels, personal records, even your wife’s files. They’re targeting you specifically.” This had Shepard concerned. Anyone targeting him would also look at Ash and their kids as convenient targets.

“Do you have any idea what they’re after?” He asked, all business.

“The intel isn’t definitive yet. Last time I guessed without definitive intel, we almost landed troops on a gas giant. Which is bad,” she clarified, as if it were necessary. Shepard almost put his head in his hand. She _had_ to be a rookie, but hopefully she was giving him this intel soon enough that he could protect his family. But she was quickly trailing off, and he had to get her back on track. He needed to know _exactly_ what they knew about his family. Did they know that he was moving in today? That he had left his wife and baby son alone?

“Brooks, take a deep breath.” He waited for her to comply and saw the stress leak out of her. “Now, start from the top. What do you know?” _And why hadn’t his Spectre account picked up on this sooner?_ But as she opened her mouth to talk, he saw several forms move into the restaurant. All of them bore helmets and antennae, and Shepard was almost sure that he saw the outlines of weapons. When one of them pulled his out, several patrons screamed, and his suspicions were confirmed. The merc walked farther into the restaurant before announcing his presence.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen." Shepard had already tapped Adri on the shoulder, shushing him and scooting him out of the chair. Adri left the book alone and looked to his father for a further cue. The merc continued. "Tonight's performance is brought to you by random acts of violence." With that, several mercs began to fire their weapons into the air, cracking the glass as warning shots. Water began to leak through the ceiling, and Adri pulled closer to his father. Instinctively, Shepard held Adri closer and quickly pulled the table into a defensive position as other mercs pushed tables over for effect. Once he pushed Adri against the makeshift shelter, he pulled Joker down too.

"Get down!" He shouted over the gunfire. Right around now, he was beginning to wish he had brought a concealed weapon with him. But before he could pull Brooks into cover with them, he saw several men walk further into the restaurant.

"Man, I love show business!" The merc shouted gleefully before barking at his men. "Spread out boys! Find me Shepard!" With that, Adri inhaled sharply.

"Daddy?" He asked quietly.

"It's ok. I need you to stick with Joker. Do as he says, alright?" Andy was trying to be gentle, but they were quickly running out of time. He could handle himself, but he wasn't going to risk his son, and Joker would get torn apart in a fight. At that moment, he heard Brooks shout.

"Got one!" A merc gleefully announced. They were close. Looking around, Shepard saw a plate that fell to the ground near them. Grabbing it, he motioned for Joker to ready himself. After a few moments, he threw the plate up and over. It achieved the desired effect as several rounds of gunfire hit the plate and the pair ran out of the back of the restaurant.

 

At this point, Andy couldn't focus on them anymore. His next priority was to get a weapon, something he could defend himself with. While the mercs were distracted, he leaned out from behind the table, using momentum to swing a nearby enemy over the table and into a prone position. Shepard then used his omni-blade to kill the man, taking his gun. A quick glance showed that it was equipped with a silencer, something that would afford him and his enemies an advantage. Shepard now took the time to peer out from his vantage point, taking out two men and two drones before moving forward. Fortunately, the men seemed poorly trained, and he was able to overpower them. With the room temporarily cleared, he rushed forward to Brooks, grabbing her and pulling her to her feet. But just as he was about to ask her if she was ok, the woman suddenly shoved him away from her. As he fell, he saw a bullet connect with her shoulder, knocking her away from him as she cried out in pain. She just took a bullet for him.

"Brooks!" He shouted, suddenly wondering if any of the men here had decided to carry medi-gel. But the newest 'soldier' instead opened fire on him. Except none of the bullets hit him as he scrambled away from them.

Even though he heard the gentle tinkling of glass, it took several moments before he realized what was going on. All of the bullets had connected with the glass in a long spray. This weakened the glass under him until it could no longer bear his weight. As the dots connected in his mind, the floor made more cracking sounds. His mind flashed back to Mindoir, to one cold winter where he and his friends had wandered out onto a frozen lake and almost froze when the ice broke under him. He pushed back, but the additional force was too much for the fractured architecture.

The top layer of glass gave out, promptly followed by the second layer. He fell at least a full story before he grabbed onto what was probably an advertisement. But the neon lights gave after a few seconds of holding his weight. As he rolled and fell, he saw an open pane of framework, and was able to grab onto it. But as he looked up, he realized that he couldn't hold on with the glass swiftly following him. He glanced down, and seeing another landing frame, let go, hoping he would land before the glass. He was correct, but several large shards of glass still broke on him as he rolled inside the open frame, cutting him in several places. He grunted as he stood and grabbed the gun, several new bruises and cuts making their protests during the process.

"Admiral!" Brooks hailed Shepard over his comm. "I found a secure terminal. Are you ok down there?" She meant well by asking, but he almost rolled his eyes.

"Yup," he hissed out. "Feeling good." He started looking around, searching for a way out. He had to get out of there, and he had to find Ash. As he roamed around, he finally put his initial thought into words. "Brooks, you were hit."

"I know!" She sounded like Ash finding a good rifle at an armory store. "I used medi-gel. A lot of it. Um, all of it, actually. And now everything's a little bit bouncy." That explained her sudden up-beat tone for being shot. Everyone knew that too much medi-gel was the equivalent of letting Adri have all the sugar he wanted.

"I think you used too much," he supplied as he spotted a skycar go by.

"So can I help with ... anything?" She asked.

"Alert C-Sec. I'll look for a way out." He traced it visually back to a landing pad. Cision Motors. It would do. “What about Cision Motors for a landing pad?”

“Hmm. I’m looking. Oh, that’s a skycar lot!”

“Get a shuttle over there, and I’ll find a way to cross over.”

“On it!” She chirped, but as he was still working his way over, she came back on. “So, um, C-Sec has the entire area on lockdown. It’s gonna be a tiny bit tricky to get a shuttle.”

“Keep working on it.” Just as he reached out to call Ash and warn her, Brooks interrupted him again.

“Oh, and stay off your comm. Except for me. It’s hacked. That’s probably how they found you.” _Damn_.

“Who are these guys?” Shepard wondered out loud. Apparently, Brooks took that as conversation.

“I don’t know, but they don’t seem to like you.” _Tell me about it,_ he almost said. But she might take that literally too.

“Yeah, I’m sensing that,” he answered instead. A few minutes later, he climbed down a ladder and landed seemingly in the middle of a nest of the strange mercenaries. But in the middle of fighting them, a welcome voice spoke on the comm.

“Shepard? Can you hear me? Are you okay?” Ashley’s voice greeted him, and he wasn’t sure if he was tensing or relaxing.

“I’m fine. Might need a little backup,” he conceded before punching another merc. He now had enough time to grab one of their chest pieces and sling it over himself. He needed the extra protection. Unfortunately, there weren’t any helmets, but he would have to make due.

“You scared me there,” Ashley confessed, and Shepard felt for her. “Joker explained what happened. I’m on foot, but not far.”

“Then who has Adri?” Shepard didn’t bother hiding the panic in his voice. Ash had been at the apartment with James. Surely, Joker would have taken Adrien there.

“He’s with James, Joker, and EDI at the apartment. I wouldn’t leave them alone.” Shepard visibly relaxed as he headed closer to the skycar lot, glad that his children were safe.

“Excuse me,” Brooks interrupted. “Who is this? You’re on an unsecured channel, and you’re putting Rear Admiral Shepard in danger.” He flinched, waiting for Ash’s reaction.

“This is his _wife_. Who the hell are _you_?” This would get out of hand _very quickly_ if he didn’t diffuse it.

“Wait. Joker mentioned Staff Analyst Brooks, right? That’s her. Everyone play nice.” Both women muttered sorry at that, and Shepard let out a huff of relief. Shepard continued to push on, and a few other team members jumped in on his comm, and Brooks seemed to give up on the idea of a private channel. But unlocking one door seemed to trip an alarm, and he swore.

“What the hell?” Ash shouted over the comm, “I heard that from here, Shepard. What do you think you’re doing?”

“It’s all under control,” he assured as a red sniper laser came into vision. He swore and rolled to better cover.

“Brooks just sent me the NavPoint for the skycar lot. I’ll be there soon.”

“Looking forward to seeing you again,” he quipped. That got a chuckle out of her.

“So what do we know about these attackers?”

“They have guns and don’t like me?” He offered, and he almost heard Ash roll her eyes.

“Very helpful. Thanks. They’re your kids tonight if you keep it up.” _Shit_. Andy decided to be quiet and focus on killing the mercs in front of him.

“Admiral,” Brooks cut in again. “There’s a C-Sec shuttle inbound if you can get to the skycar lot,” she announced.

“Got it,” he replied.

“Alright. Brooks over,” she paused. “No, out! Brooks out! Over and out? Brooks! Oh, dammit!” Andy almost paused to laugh. He didn’t remember being that green, but the girl had a desk job, for crying out loud.  After pressing further, he saw more troops on the other side of glass doors. Yet they weren’t firing on him.

As he opened the door, he saw who they were firing on: Ash. She took the bullets in stride, sliding over a car while opening fire on them, each bullet hitting its mark. By the time he was in position to join in the fight, the fight was already over. She smirked and put extra sway in her hips as she approached him.

“You having a bad day, Andy?” She was flirting, and they both knew it.

“You could say that,” he responded lightly, refusing to give in right now.

“Landing pad is over there, but it’s behind a locked gate.” She trailed off as she gently turned him, moving his arm into an uncomfortable position. “Let’s get that armor off you real quick so I can get medi-gel on all this. Brooks said you fell a decent ways.”

“Yeah, I fell several stories. Not all at once,” he reassured at her concerned look. Instead, she turned back to her work of smearing medi-gel over a good portion of his body. He would get it looked at later, but this was good enough for now. When she was done, he put the armor back on and began to look for the panel, turning back to catch her staring at him.

“You look good in that outfit. I’ll have to find a way to mend it later.” Her unspoken words of needing to get it off him brought a smile to both their faces, and he rolled his eyes. _That’s my wife alright._ “It’s too bad the sushi place is missing its floor,” she commented as they started looking in earnest.

“We’ll talk about it later,” he delayed, and he could hear her smirk.

“It’s just such a shame,” she continued to comment as he finally found what had to be the main office.

“We’ll talk about it _later_ ,” he affirmed, pulling the gun out again. But she stopped him, instead tapping on the nearby glass.

“Hey, can you open the gate for us?” After a few moments, the gates opened and Shepard spotted the top of a Volus’ suit behind the glass. “Thanks,” she smiled, knowing the Volus couldn’t see them.

“Please leave,” it asked, and Ash smirked, walking away leisurely.

“I could have done that too,” Shepard said, quietly wondering when she became sharper than him. They both began to relax when they saw the C-Sec shuttle approach. But when the door opened, several of the armed mercs were waiting for them. They had no time to fight. There were too many of them, and he didn’t have enough armor. Instinctively, he grabbed Ash to drag her behind a nearby sign that could be used as cover. What he didn’t expect was Ash pushing him to the ground and covering him bodily as the initial hail of gunfire passed. Once that stopped, they maneuvered into a better position to open fire. But their movement was for nothing, as someone suddenly opened fire on the men there. In less than a minute, the shuttle was toast.

“Nobody messes with my LZ!” Cortez’s voice came over the comm, and Shepard had never been so glad to hear his friend. The pair climbed in as more mercs landed across the way. “Hang on, this is might get rough if they have more shuttles.” The pair found a hand-hold as Cortez pulled the shuttle away from the LZ, but after a few minutes, the ride settled out.

“Mission accomplished everyone,” Ash announced into her comm. “Skipper acquired and on our way back to the safe house. Everyone meet up there in 15.” She turns and pecked him on the cheek. “Glad you’re safe, Andy.”

 


	3. Business and Pleasure

Once they all returned to the apartment, Adrien all but bolted out of the kitchen, with Liara, EDI and James trailing behind him. “Daddy!” he shouted and jumped at his father.

“Hey, you and Joker make it out without boo-boos?” Andy asked, making a show of dangling him by one limb to check. Adri giggled and nodded in response.

“Did Mommy and Daddy make the bad guys go boom?” Adri asked, and Ash ruffled his hair.

“Mommy sure did,” she responded as she went to EDI, taking James from her.

“Hey, Daddy did too. Don’t sell him short,” Andy chimed in.

“Either way, something’s up if that many bad guys are targeting you on the Citadel,” Steve spoke, bringing everyone back to the current topic.

“Especially since they were heavily armed and using C-Sec shuttles. Getting their hands on that kind of stuff isn’t easy,” Ashley noted, and Shepard had to agree with her. Something was distinctly strange about these mercs, and the fact that they were targeting his family made him more anxious than normal.

“I still can’t believe that all of that happened, that you sur – ” A sharp look cut Brooks short. No one was in the mood to scare Adri. “That you managed to handle yourself so well,” she amended.

“Why does she wear your outfit, Daddy?” Adri suddenly prompted. Ash seemed to guess what Adri would say if allowed to continue. And everyone knew that Adrien might be a little too truthful in his assessment of Brooks.

“I don’t know. Let’s go find some crackers,” Ash suggested. Adri shrugged and followed his mother and EDI. Andy shrugged at Brooks. Kids.

“Either way, we need to know what’s going on. I’ll contact Bailey and get his men to look into it. We should also check the Spectre database. If these people managed to hack in there, the Council needs to know. From there, any Spectre’s information could be compromised.” Andy stated as Ash returned alone.

“I wouldn’t recommend it. If your accounts have been hacked, there’s a chance you could spread it to other places as well.” With that, all omni-tools were closed.

“Then I guess that makes this officially classified until we can find whoever is behind this,” Ash affirmed.

“Right,” Brooks declared. “By ourselves. On our own. Alone. Outside the law. Okay. Yeah.” It was clear that she wasn’t so thrilled with the prospect.

“It’s alright, Brooks. I know that this is a lot to handle,” he attempted to calm the woman.

“I got shot! I’ve got medi-gel, but still! I took a desk job explicitly not to get shot! And you killed a hundred guys with a pistol! One you’d never held before!” She was quickly getting worked up, but there wasn’t much that Shepard could say against it.

“I don’t think it was quite that many, but yes,” he answered.

“I mean, who does that?” Brooks continued. “Well you, I guess,” she answered before they could answer. “But besides you?” She plowed on. “They said the medi-gel might make me jumpy. Do I seem jumpy?” Everyone waited a few beats to make sure she wouldn’t continue.

“On a scale of sleeping baby to the noon movie slot, 3 glasses of punch and 5 sugar cookies,” Ash finally answered.

“That’s bad isn’t it?”

“When we’re talking about a small child, yup.” Ash seemed to clear her head. “But how did you end up in the middle of all this anyways?”

“I monitor data for the Alliance Intel to prevent fraud and hacking of officer ID’s. Like someone using an Admiral’s pass to get into a nightclub on the Citadel when that Admiral is fighting on Tuchanka. I wrote a tracking program. It’s really neat. I named it ‘Mr. Biscuits’ after my cat.” They were quickly loosing Brooks again.

“Brooks,” Ashley gently prodded her. This seemed to jump her back into the situation.

“Right, anyway, Mr. Bis – the program detected a breach in your classified files. I looked into it, to see what all may have been compromised. I found that everything was compromised. Personnel files, mission reports, everything. And they were trying to use your files as a hacking point for your wife’s classified files. Last I checked, her files weren’t breached, but it’s possible that they’ve managed to get in since then.”

“As concerning as that is, when did it start to involve heavily armed mercenary forces?” Ash interrupted. And Andy was just as concerned.

“Think of the damage they could do with Shepard’s military or Spectre codes. It would be even worse if they had yours as well.” Brooks’ implications were unpleasant at best, and flat-out terrifying at worst. Everyone was still rebuilding, and this could destroy everything they had worked towards.

“And as long as I’m alive, there’s someone to counter the codes.” The pieces were falling into place, and if they tried to hack Ashley’s code as well, her life would also be in danger. “We need to find out who these people are and stop them as soon as possible. Where do we start?”

“The gun is going to be our best bet. I haven’t seen anything like them before. And we spent months in the Terminus. That will narrow down the pool of dealers and clients,” Ashley suggested.

“And I can help with that,” Liara announced, walking over from one of the spare rooms. “James is down for a nap, so please don’t raise your voices.”

“Thanks, Liara. I think I might go check on him while you let Glyph do its thing.”

“I’m glad to help, and just as glad to see that everyone made it out alive. Except the fish.” Shepard sighed, knowing that this would probably be the running joke for the entirety of the investigation.

“Now that we have that sorted out, what about the crew? We can’t do this on our own.” Shepard specifically glossed over the fish comment.

“Yeah, what about those slackers?” Joker asked as he walked to the door. “I found some folks who actually like being shot at.” With that, most of the ground team walked into the apartment.

“I’ll get something for everyone to munch on. Just don’t be too loud. James is taking a nap right now.” The crew nodded their agreement to Ash’s request before spreading out around the apartment, quietly discussing plans. Andy knew that everyone would have an idea, so he began to make his rounds.

 

An hour later, Andy had talked to everyone in the apartment, making sure everyone was fed for the moment. EDI was in the back of the house, entertaining Adri and making sure James didn’t get into any trouble. He came away from the episode distinctly sore: most of them were more concerned for the fish than for him. Shaking his head, he joined the others as they approached Liara and Glyph at the dining room table. Liara apparently had some information for them.

“I have a lead,” she coolly announced, and Shepard was glad that someone as powerful as the Shadow Broker was on their side. She probably wasn’t able to get the information as quickly, but she still had what she needed. “I was able to run a trace on the gun. Meet casino owner Elijah Khan. He’s been suspected of using his profits to smuggle weapons onto the Citadel. Immediately following the attempt on Shepard’s life, Khan made an interesting call.” She pulled up an audio file and played it for them.

“I’m cutting you off,” Elijah stated. “I’m returning your down payment now.”

“What’s the problem?” A male voice asked. Shepard couldn’t place it.

“Turn on a vidscreen,” Khan spat. “When I sell a gun, I don’t want it showing up on the nightly news!”

“You won’t be linked to me,” the male answered.

“Save it. Our association is terminated. And if you even think of coming after me, I’ve got info on you ready for prime time. So you ponder that. Khan out.” With that, the audio file ended.

“So that’s our identity thief,” Shepard remarks.

“But he’s hiding behind an ID disguiser,” Garrus remarked. “It’s a real pain in the ass to get around. We can try to crack it, but we might be spinning our wheels for a while.”

“Do we have anything on the mercenaries?” Shepard asked. If this was the only chance at deciphering who was behind the attack, they would have to do it. But hopefully they would be able to strike back before the thief could attack again.”

“It’s a private military corporation called Cat6,” Liara explained. “The name is a play on the Alliance’s term for dishonorable discharge. Most here have criminal records, histories of steroid abuse, and several other charming features. Khan didn’t hire them. The thief did.”

“It can’t have been easy to get that call,” Ashley observed. “How did you get it?”

“It involved the weapon’s biometric data, Salarian intelligence, and a Hanar prostitute with camera implants.” There was dead silence for several moments.

“Seriously?” Tali asked. Shepard wasn’t quite sure if he really wanted to know or not.

“No,” Liara conceded. “But the truth is boring.” Shepard stifled a laugh, along with most of the others in the room.

“Either way, Khan wasn’t on friendly terms with whoever that was. There’s a good chance he would give us his information,” Shepard concluded.

“That would take some incredibly smooth talking. If he sees you, he’ll probably assume you’re looking for revenge. His casino has a panic room, and it’s likely that he’ll have gone to ground there. EDI could help us hack the door, but there are guards and cameras, neither of which is as easily hacked.”

“Khan could disappear or worse,” Brooks stated. “And if his guards open fire, civilians could be injured as well, like I was. We got really lucky at the sushi restaurant.”

“She’s right,” Ashley agreed. “We can’t spook him. We’ll have to go in quietly as a small team. No gunplay.” Glyph suddenly popped up on top of the table.

“Dr. T’Soni, this evening, the casino will be hosting a charity event for war refugees.” That peaked everyone’s interest.

“Purchase some tickets, then call up a layout of the building,” Liara stated. After a few moments, a layout popped up.

“Awesome,” Joker commented. “But how close can you get? Panic rooms generally aren’t built with back doors.”

“This air shaft bypasses the security gate and ends up in storage,” EDI informed them, highlighting the shaft in question. “From there, the panic room’s door-camera can be disabled.”

“Too convenient. There will be alarms all over that shaft,” Ashley warned, and Shepard could only guess that she was right.

“I believe I have some countermeasures that will help. I’ll know more once we’re inside,” Liara added.

“Who is going to get in the shaft? It needs to be someone small,” Ash commented.

“I think I’m a little too large for that. My cowl would get caught,” Garrus explained. Several pairs of eyes turned to Tali.

“I suspect my suit’s built-in tech would be picked up by security sensors,” she countered. Everyone then turned to EDI.

“My presence in the casino would arouse suspicion. Mechs are not allowed since they can have cheating software,” she explained.

“What you need is someone trained in zero emissions tech,” Brooks stated. “No electronics. No metal. Just undetectable polymers. We had a course back at Op-Int, disabling a bomb with these little tweezers.” Oh dear, Brooks was … rambling? “See, the bomb was filled with shaving cream,” she started, but Shepard had already tuned her out. Everyone else seemed to pick up on what she had said, and everyone silently agreed.

“Alright,” Shepard stated. “You’re in.”

“What?” She asked, looking at him in confusion before comprehension dawned. “No,” she answered firmly, looking concerned for a moment. Then confusion reigned. “What?”

“You said it yourself. We’ve all got too much tech. And you’ve been trained for this.”

“But,” she spluttered. “I managed to get shot just coming to talk to you! Now I’m supposed to hack my way into a safe room?”

“We’ll back you up. The second you hit something you can’t handle, we’ll cover you,” Ashley soothed. Shepard nodded his agreement. They all knew that she was new to this and needed help adjusting to the thought.

“There is one more hurdle to get us inside,” Liara cautioned, and Shepard turned to see what they would need to do. “Black tie required.”

 

With that, the afternoon was gone. Ashley would accompany him to the event, and therefore spent the afternoon shopping for a dress. Finally, she settled on something for both of them. An Alliance blue dress that fell in drapes for her, and a smart black suit with matching blue accents for him. Then the women of the _Normandy_ spent the rest of the time giggling upstairs together while Shepard was pushed into the downstairs bathroom to get ready. Adrien was busy being entertained by Joker and Steve when Shepard finished getting ready.

“Have you seen Mom yet? Or is upstairs still a ‘no boys’ zone?” He asked, walking to the couch.

 

“It isn’t anymore,” Ash answered, and Shepard turned around to see Ash on the stairs. He had seen Ash in many things, but never like this. The dress looked like a waterfall on her, it flowed so smoothly. Her hair, while it was gathered back, fell in loose waves, exposing her neck and shoulders. Somehow, one of the girls had talked Ash into wearing long gloves that ended at her elbows. And for some strange reason, there was less oxygen in the room than normal. “I’ll guess that I look good from your reaction.” Shepard cleared his throat before answering.

“You look wonderful, Ash. I guess that’s why we weren’t allowed to see you,” he pondered.

“No. You were kept out because boys make messes, and we didn’t want you to make a mess of my clothes,” she quipped, and Joker rolled his eyes while Steve chuckled.

“Alright you two, grab Brooks and go before you’re late. The press would hate that.”  
 Steve chided.

“Have fun. Kick bad guy booty. We’ll hold down the fort until you get back. Oh, and Ash: don’t let Shepard dance,” Joker warned. Ash rolled her eyes and Shepard gave Joker a look before Brooks came down the staircase. Brooks had decided on a blue cocktail dress for mobility, and worn her hair loose.

“Well, let’s go break into a safe room,” Brooks nervously announced.

“And we’ll be right with you, Brooks,” Shepard assured as he offered his arm to Ash, who was kissing Adrien goodbye.

 

They were able to exit the skycar quickly, but as soon as a photographer noticed them, they were waylaid by photographers wanting a shot of the pair and a few reporters wanting a few words with them for several minutes. Somehow, Brooks had managed to slip away from it all, and they met up with her again inside the casino.

“Teach me how to get by reporters that fast, Brooks. It may come in handy in the future,” Ash lightly commented.

“It was pretty easy with you two taking up the spotlight. You just have to find a good enough distraction,” Brooks explained, softly shrugging. “But now that we’re in here, I’ll head off to the ventilation shaft. Wish me luck!”

“You’ll do just fine, Brooks,” Ashley assured as the woman walked into the casino.

“EDI and I will keep an eye on everything as best we can,” Liara assured over the earpiece. “He has a large number of guards. It would be best if you mingle and appear like the other guests.”

“Noted. Ready to meet the riff raff, Ash?” He extended his elbow towards her, and she smirked at him.

“Always ready, Skipper,” she teased as she accepted the arm. They went around and spoke with a few guests, who ranged from the Asari who sparked the idea of the benefit to Sha’ira. But before he could speak with anyone for a long period of time, Brook’s worried voice came over their comm.

“There’s a problem. I’m over by the grate leading to the shaft.” With that, they politely dipped out of the conversation and met Brooks. As it turned out, Shepard needed to bypass the grate’s security, which was guarded by a camera. “Dr. T’Soni gave me this to pass to you. It’s a resonance emitter lens. It should let you see the security grids and wiring.” He quickly put the lens on and for a minute was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of circuitry. But the lens also helped him sort through the different wires and tell the difference between all of them.

“I can follow this wiring to a junction and disable the alarm from there,” he stated after he adjusted to the lens.

“Fingers crossed,” Brooks finally stated as he walked away, discretely tracing the wiring.

“The wiring you’re looking for is blue,” Liara informed him as he traced a large pack, making the process quicker. “And while I’m sure you know this, don’t bypass a system when a camera is watching you.”

“We wouldn’t want to take Khan completely by surprise, now would we?” He teased as he located the proper box.

“Well, for you it wouldn’t be a proper business dealing until your trigger finger has been satisfied,” Ash quipped. Shepard resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“I’m capable of talking an enemy down. That’s what we’re here to do after all,” he defended. A ping to his omni-tool signaled Liara sending him a splicing routine for the box. With that, they paused their conversation and Shepard disabled the camera. “Splice is in, Brooks,” he informed her.

“Good. Grate is open, and I’m in,” she announced. “Go ahead and look normal. I don’t know how long this will take,” she added. Ash smiled at him.

“I know just what to do,” she stated as she pulled him with her. After a few moments, they were on the dance floor. Sighing, Shepard decided to pull out his old dancing routine. The pair chuckled and danced for several minutes before pulling off to the side. After that, they asked about what drinks were available. Apparently, Hanar used mindfish to simulate the effects of alcohol. But just as he was about to order a drink, he was interrupted.

“Admiral!” Brooks whispered into his ear. Shepard was distinctly reminded of Adri tugging on his pant legs.

“What?” He answered.

“There’s a guard right below me.” _Oh dear._

“Don’t panic. We’ll distract him,” Ash soothed. “Wait here.” Shepard did as he was told, and several minutes later, was rewarded when Ash came back on the comm. “You’re clear Brooks.”

“Thanks, Major. I’ll see if I can get to the panic room.” With that, Brooks went to work again, and Ashley joined her husband back near the bar.

“What did you do?” He asked in curiosity.

“Told them that someone was doing red sand in the women’s restroom.” Andy almost snorted, but was able to hold back.

“Well, that is one way to get them scrambling,” he commented as he ordered their drinks. They passed some time speaking with Jonah Ashland, one of the heads of the largest remaining Human energy companies. Apparently, he had a daughter and was able to offer a few tips to the young parents. Just when it seemed like Ash was going to coax Shepard back out onto the dance floor, Brooks interrupted again. This time, Shepard wasn’t sure if he was vaguely annoyed or thankful.

“Umm.” She honestly sounded like a kid with his hand stuck in the cookie jar. Or stuck halfway inside a vent.

“Talk to us, Brooks,” Shepard coaxed.

“I’ve got a pressure pad and an obstruction sensor just ahead. I can’t disable them from here.”

“EDI, give us a tech solution. Brooks, hang tight. We’ll take out the sensors,” Andy assured her. They followed another set of wires to the pressure pad’s box. Unfortunately, the camera facing the box was in plain sight of a guard.

“Say when, and I’ll get his attention,” she whispered. A minute later, he gave her the signal, and she sure did catch his attention. From the small snippet he heard, she seemed to have found a card fabricator by the poker table. But it gave him the time he needed to splice it without fear of being caught. Two minutes later, he was at the junction box for the obstruction sensor. This time, Ash started out by complimenting one of the guards on how well they had done, and ended with taking their information under the guise of Spectre candidacy. Andy felt sorry for the guys for a moment, but it faded when Brooks came in over the comm.

“I’m at the storage room grate. Time to hit the lock,” Brooks announced.

“Be careful,” he cautioned, and he and Ashley waited silently. But after a few moments, they all knew that something was going badly, given the sheer amount of noise Shepard could hear through his comm link.

“Oh, son of a,” she trailed off, and Shepard was not comforted by the fact that the noise continued over her speech. “Hey, Admiral?”

“What happened? What do you need me to do?” This was something they had to contain, and _fast_.

“Infrared laser hooked up to a silent alarm. I wasn’t able to get it in time.”

“I will call the guard,” EDI intervened, “and say it was a false alarm. But I will need you to ensure that he does not reach Brooks.” With that, Shepard took off as quickly as he could. Fortunately, he was able to catch the guard’s attention, and EDI placed the phony call before a serious explanation was needed. For a moment, he thought the guard would call his bluff, but instead let him go.

“You’re good to go Brooks,” Ashley stated.

“Thanks. I’ll see what I can do about the panic room.”

With that, the pair began to wander around the casino some more. Shepard ran into an unfortunate politician named Elspeth, and let her know who she was working with, while Ashley finished the earlier conversation with Sha’ira.

“Okay, I think all you need to do is get to me,” Brooks informed them. “I’m on the other side of the security gate.” With that, the pair stopped mingling and walked calmly towards the back.

“Is the camera taken care of?” Ashley asked.

“No. Just on my side. But we need to do this quickly before someone comes back here.”

“Then it looks like I need to work some more magic. Let me know when you’re ready.” Shepard gave her a small grin as they walked into the back room. There were several cameras and a few guards, but true to her word, Ashley kept all of their attention diverted. With that in place, Shepard was able to get rid of the cameras. As she finished, the guards all turned their backs, and the pair slipped over to Brooks, who then opened the panic room doors. The three were now in a small, yet comfortable room. A fire gave an older appeal, while the furniture gave it the ability to transform into an office. At the moment, Khan had his back turned from them, and was instead facing the fire. They’d already said that they didn’t want Khan panicking, so Shepard tried to take on a soothing approach.

“Khan, I’m not here to threaten you. We need to talk,” he stated. But after a few moments, Khan remained where he was. Cautiously, Ashley walked around the desk, turning the chair towards them with a grimace. Khan was slumped in his chair, dead.

“What the hell?” Brooks asked in confusion as everyone stepped behind his desk.

“Can just anyone walk in here?” Ashley asked, then added in a mock pout, “I don’t feel so special now.” Shepard’s mouth quirked up for a moment. Leave it to Ash to lighten the moment. But now they had more questions than answers. Who killed Khan?

“Admiral,” Brooks grabbed his attention back to the desk. She had gone shuffling through Khan’s files. “There’s a deletion order on the terminal.” Both Spectres swore. “Everything’s been wiped.  I don’t know if it was him, or the killer, or –” she trailed off for a moment, then frowned. “When I tripped the alarm, did I screw this up?” She seemed almost more horrified of messing up than of a dead body, and Shepard softened his expression. It was easy to forget that she was new to this.

“I doubt it,” Ash said. “The killer was probably planning to use today before we were, and this was just bad timing.” Shepard wanted to chime in, but he was still working on the terminal.

“What are you looking for?” Brooks prompted.

“Mistakes,” Shepard answered. Working with Garrus and Tali had taught him that anyone who was in a hurry would forget something. Nothing was perfect, and _anything_ could be hacked with the proper tools and determination. And Tali was proof that you didn’t always need the former. Just then, a small cache of information came up. Bingo. “Thought so. Our killer was in a hurry. They wiped the terminal, but not the comm.”

“Oh, so we can take the comm back to the safe house to scan it, or –” Brooks was cut off as he simply recalled the last number. Right now, they didn’t have the luxury of time, and it was possible that Khan had spoken with his killer. The number for his last call was vague enough to warrant further investigation.

“Elijah,” the same voice from the lifted call resounded in the room. “Come crawling back?” It was time to figure out who this was once and for all.

“Guess again,” Shepard parried.

“You. I see you’ve recovered from flopping on the floor like a fish,” the voice taunted. Shepard would have none of that.

“You’ll have to do better than that. The last guy who trash talked me was a few kilometers taller than you. He’s dead. What does that say for you?”

“Brave,” the voice commented. “I thought as much, but it won’t matter. You have nothing. All you can do is wait for the hammer to fall.” Shepard had had more than enough of these threats for no reason. He had a right to an explanation.

“You’re wrong,” Ashley stated. “We are here with him, and we won’t let you do this to our family. You’re going to have to put a lot more effort into this, because we will not back down.” This was one of the reasons why he loved his wife. She was fierce, and an opponent only gave her a reason to fight harder.

“I’m gonna take everything you have, and everything you are,” the voice stated before the call cut out. Brooks let out a noise of frustration.

“I’m sorry. He cut the call before I could trace it.” Unfortunately, that meant they wouldn’t get as much data as they wanted. But there was a way to force that information forward.

“We’re not done. Pull out the data drives,” he commanded. Ash moved to do so, while Brooks continued to look at him in confusion.

“The ones that got wiped? You think we can pull something off them?”

“Anything is possible. EDI is a tech master. And the sooner we get them to her, the sooner we can find whoever this is.” With that, the three walked out of the room, data drives in hand.


	4. Red Light, Green Light

Some time later, they finally got back to the apartment. Adri was still in the middle of a nap, and Steve moved him upstairs. Once inside, Brooks delivered the data drives to EDI, while Ash pulled her shoes off.

“Hell of a party,” she commented. “Too bad the host died.”

“Well it wasn’t a total loss. We did get the data drives, and pretty soon EDI should have some data that we can use,” Shepard corrected. Brooks then came back towards them.

“I gave EDI the data. Hopefully she’ll find something. I’ll stick with her and Liara, and let you know if we find anything.” From there, everyone was left to continue waiting, and Shepard decided to pass some of the time chatting with the others. Overall, everyone seemed glad that they had something to work with. Finally, he approached Ashley, who had just set James down for a nap with Tali keeping an eye on him.

 “Fancy party? Check. Super sexy outfit? Check. Fight crime? Check. Well almost. We got close,” she allowed. Shepard smiled at her. They both knew that her ‘perfect date’ involved a good outfit, a fun party, and beating up some bad guys. This was why he loved her. This was why he married her. He didn’t know how else a woman like her would deal with him unless she already wanted what was in his life. Things might not be at their best at the moment, but they both wanted to make things work. He hooked an arm around her waist, and they passed by the dining room once more.

“EDI and I have been analyzing the data, and I think we found something,” Brooks announced.

“Everyone, gather up,” Andy commanded, and the others quickly came forward.

“Though the data’s root structure was erased, the integrity remains viable,” EDI stated.

“EDI has an incredible talent for this stuff,” Brooks added. “I know that she’s an AI, but even still.” She then changed the subject back. “We found an encrypted communication from a few days back. Just need another minute to crack it.”

“A whole minute?” Joker asked. “EDI could shave that down to five seconds.”

“I thought it best to allow Staff Analyst Brooks a chance to improve her decryption skills,” EDI defended.

“And now you’ve lost your chance to show off.”

“Like she needs it,” Brooks scoffed. “You’re the crew of the _Normandy_. You’re legends to the rest of the Alliance.”

“It’s all part of the job,” Shepard replied, humbled by the praise.

“Wait, ‘job’? You mean the rest of you are getting paid for this?” Garrus asked, and everyone gave a chuckle. The encrypted file then came up.

“Here we go. Wow.” Brooks’ eyes grew large as she read the message. “Those mercs who were after you? They bought a lot of weapons. Like big ones.” She pulled up the schematic for an Atlas, and the atmosphere got tense. Shepard didn’t want any of those weapons coming near James and Adri.

“Mechs?” Ashley asked. “Why do they need that much firepower?” Suddenly, Glyph popped up, flashing red.

“The Admiral’s Spectre access code was just used at the Citadel Archives,” he stated, and Ashley shared a concerned look with Shepard.

“Pull up a schematic,” Ash ordered. Brooks then started looking at some additional data.

“The archives are going into emergency lockdown. Whoever hacking your records is there right now!” Brooks said, her tone concerned.

“What do we know about the place?” Shepard asked. They needed to move quickly if they were going to have a chance at getting this person.

“The Council keeps sensitive historical information there,” Garrus informed him. “Real hush-hush. Even my old C-Sec clearance never got me in.”

“Then we’ll find our own way in,” Shepard declared, and turned to get out of his suit. “Gear up and let’s –” He stopped as he almost ran straight into … a volus? Turning back towards the others, he asked “what’s with the Volus?”

“He’s the pizza-delivery guy. I got hungry,” Joker explained.

“Double pepperoni,” the Volus announced.

“We have food here, you know,” Ashley supplied.

“Yeah, but that’s all healthy food, and I was hungry for a real meal, not something I had to cook.” Ashley rolled her eyes in response, and Shepard shook his head, putting the thought away for the moment.

“These archives are huge. You’ll have a lot of ground to cover. It’s a shame you can’t bring everyone,” Brooks said. And that was when Shepard had an idea.

“Who says we can’t? All hands on deck for this one,” he announced. Steve gave him a small smile.

“That is a good idea, but who will lead with you?” Liara asked. Most of the others cleared their throats as a cue to Shepard, when suddenly the Volus cleared his throat.

“Who’s going to pay the bill?”

“Both questions have an obvious answer. I’m taking point with you, and Joker will pay for his pizza,” Ashley answered. Shepard gave her a small grin while Joker pouted at her.

“As much as I would love for you to join me, I don’t want to risk the kids being on their own and getting in trouble. And if someone does try to come, I know you can handle yourself.” Shepard went over to her and kissed her cheek.

“I had a feeling you would say that. I’m going to suit up just in case,” she answered before she went upstairs. Hopefully, Shepard would come home after this and not have to worry about this mysterious person ever again.

 

Everyone was suited up and in cars, headed to the Archives. Garrus and Tali were going to take point with him, while Liara, EDI, and Brooks helped cover any ground they couldn’t easily reach.

“What’s the best way into the Archives?” He asked as they headed to their destination.

“The facility is located below the Wards,” Brooks informed him. “Maybe a direct breach for maximum surprise,” she offered.

“I like it,” he agreed. “Sounds like you’re learning the ropes.”

“Hell, hang out with us long enough, and you’ll learn ropes, knives, bombs, thresher maws,” Steve trailed off good-naturedly.

“But don’t hang out too long with us, or you might start kissing Quarians,” Garrus cautioned, and Tali playfully smacked him on the arm.

“I have a shotgun,” she informed him, and Shepard chuckled.

“The Archives are somewhere below us. I don’t know exactly where an access point is, so it might be tricky to get in,” Brooks informed them.

“Not necessarily,” Garrus countered, bringing out an explosive. A minute later, they were all climbing down into the archives. But once they entered the facility, they were attacked within a minute. Someone was expecting them, and Shepard was concerned.

“That’s enough!” A familiar voice shouted, and the fighting came to a quick halt. Brooks was held hostage by a dark figure. “Drop your weapons, or this won’t end well for her,” he stated, and the others complied.

“You bastard,” Brooks snarled before the mysterious figure threw her down near Shepard.

“Whatever you think you’re getting away with, there’s nowhere you can run, nowhere you can hide where we can’t find you,” Shepard threatened. The time for gentle persuasion had already passed.

“Hide?” The figure asked, almost laughing. “Why?” The figure stepped into the light, and for a moment, Andy almost thought that he was staring into a mirror. He was staring at what looked like a copy of himself. He was so stunned, he almost didn’t hear the next words. “I’m Rear Admiral Shepard. I never hide!” This other Shepard then jumped down.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting that,” Garrus commented.

“Who are you?” Andy asked, shifting his weight back.

“You weren’t the only Shepard Cerberus brought back to life, but at least one of us will finally do something about it,” the other him snarled.

“Where did you come from?” Shepard prompted, still trying to wrap his mind around it all. _At least Ash doesn’t have to deal with this, and the kids will hopefully never find out,_ he thought.

“The same DNA as you,” the copy commented.

“So you’re a clone,” Tali said, her tone somewhere between shock and awe.

“Cerberus spared no expense resurrecting you,” the clone carried on, “With me, you had spare parts. For in case you need a spare leg, or heart, or lung.”

“Then where have you been?” Shepard was brought back to life years ago.

“In a coma. Until about two years ago. While you were fighting the Reapers, I was learning to be human. And while you were in the Terminus, I plotted. It’s amazing what a person can do with enough neural implants.

“Then if you really are me, we’re on the same side.” Perhaps this clone was just confused. If he had only interacted with Cerberus, then that would explain a lot.

“We’re not even in the same league,” the clone scoffed.

“Did the Illusive Man send you?”

“No. He abandoned me when he had what he wanted. You,” the clone snarled.

“Then why are you trying to kill us?” Garrus asked.

“Because I don’t have his memories. I wouldn’t fool his supposed friends. The ones who abandoned their duty to join the cult of Shepard. Like you, Garrus Vakarian. You’re nothing more than a burnt-out cop past his prime. Or like you, Tali’Zorah vas Normandy. I’m not sure whether to kill you with a bullet or just take off your helmet and cough.” The clone’s insults were enough to make Andy see red. These were his friends, his comrades-in-arms. He had known them for years, and this clone spoke to them like trash.

“You’re just a pale imitation of the real thing!” Tali countered, venom in her voice.

“I’m the real thing perfected. I’m you without the wear and tear, Shepard. The doubts, the failures. I’m the lone wolf you were always meant to be without the emotional baggage holding me back.” The words were supposed to demoralize him, but Andy grew more furious with every word. His children were his pride and joy. His wife was his rock. His crew was his family. And he was proud of every scar.

“No one will believe you’re the real Shepard,” Garrus affirmed.

“They will when I’m flying his ship.” Andy had had enough. It was time to cut this crap out.

“This is Shepard,” he all but shouted into his comm. “Initiate emergency lockdown! Transmitting command codes now!” He quickly sent them off, but when he looked up, the clone was smirking and using his own omni-tool.

“Good idea,” he praised. “Too bad the signal was jammed.” The clone then opened his own comm. “Traynor, this is Shepard. Prep the _Normandy_ for emergency departure. We’re leaving.” The clone then sent the same codes.

“Acknowledged,” Traynor replied. “We’ll get underway.” Now Shepard was just pissed.

“It’ll be a cold day in hell before someone steals my ship,” he grit out.

“It’s not stealing if I’m you,” the clone taunted. “Execute them,” he then ordered. “The cult of Shepard ends today.” For a moment, Shepard’s stomach clenched, and he thought of Ash and the boys at home. He had to get a hold of them and tell them before it was too late.

Glancing up, he saw the miniature model of the Citadel. It made a convenient target to land on the guards. And given how quickly it shattered, Liara had seen the same thing. The mercenaries, however, were caught unaware, giving them the edge in combat. The clone fled, which was disconcerting for Shepard, but he instead focused his anger into adrenaline. Once the mercs were dealt with, Shepard charged into the archives.

“After the clone!” Andy ordered. “Liara, EDI, see if you can get communications out of here. We have to warn Ashley and get Bailey involved. He can get them to delay the _Normandy’s_ departure long enough.”

“I will commence cracking their code at once,” EDI replied. He also got Glyph to start tracking the clone, after an initially confusing conversation where Glyph thought he was the target. At that point, they reached the main part of the archives. The others seemed intent on discussing the fact that he had a clone, but honestly, Andy just wanted to make sure that his family was alright.

“Shepard! They’ve got us pinned down!” Liara shouted. “We could use some help!” He almost felt sorry for the mercenaries as he charged in. They met the brunt of his rage. No one messed with his team. _No one_. The squad was in a bad place, and while there was a ladder, they were vulnerable to fire while on it.

“Go!” Shepard shouted at the others. “I’ll cover you.” With that, Shepard focused on the enemies around him. None of them would hurt his squad. No one was going to be replaced today.

“That’s cheating!” Liara shouted back at the mercenaries as she climbed the ladder. And while Shepard was inclined to agree, there was nothing he could do to stop the slow but steady progress they made on his territory. But just as he was about to get overwhelmed, a rain of bullets fell on the mercenaries. He looked up to find everyone on a platform above the ladder, shooting on what was now a gallery. The mercs didn’t stand a chance.

“And that’s the moment where the universe ran out of ammunition!” Garrus crowed triumphantly. Andy chuckled as he climbed the ladder, rejoining the others.

“The … other me can’t be far,” he trailed off when he realized he wasn’t sure what to call the clone. ‘Clone’? ‘Me’? ‘Other me’ seemed to fit well enough, but was still disorienting. “Keep up the pressure, and let’s move.”

From there, they ran into the mercenaries several more times, though none were very interesting or noteworthy. What was noteworthy were the snippets he heard deeper in the archives. If he’d heard correctly, there were several bits of information here that could start wars. Liara wasn’t kidding when she spoke of how knowledge could ignite conflict. Glyph also proved to be worth a few chuckles, even if the drone was useless in battle. After several sets of stairs, everyone seemed to be closing in on the clone.

“Team Mako, we’re coming up behind. What’s your status?” He asked as the climbed the final set of stairs.

“We’re under –” Brooks started, but the rest was drowned out in a thick haze of static and gunfire. He picked up the pace, eager to keep the mercs on their toes and the others out of trouble.

“Mako, where are you?” He asked again, enunciating to make sure he was heard over any static. Silence was the only response he got. Glancing back, he saw Garrus’ mandibles flutter and Tali fidget as they walked into another set of data banks. But as they reached the back, his comm flared to life again.

“Admiral, can you hear me?” He could hear the concern in her voice, and while he wanted to calm her, he had to get to the rest of his squad now.

“What’s your status?” He asked.

“The other you is jamming our radios. We’re trying to get ahead and cut him off,” she reported, but fear was leaking through her voice. “But I’ve been hit, and I need help. Please hurry!” For a moment, Andy had a flashback. Adri had been exploring and gotten himself stuck in a vent corridor, despite being told not to crawl in multiple times. Shepard could still remember the fear in the boy’s voice, and in that moment, it didn’t matter that he had warned Adrien. All that mattered was comforting and protecting his son.

“Just stay calm. We’re tracking your radio, and we’ll be there as soon as we can,” Tali soothed as they all picked up the pace. After finding their way through another set of stairs, they saw Brooks pinned and taking fire. The three sprinted towards her, weapons ready. Until the blue barrier of a tube popped up around them. All three skidded to a halt, nearly running into the barrier.

“This isn’t good,” Garrus stated unnecessarily.

“Brooks, the vault sealed us in,” he announced over the comm.

“There has to be an override,” Tali ventured, looking around for one.

“Not seeing one,” Garrus responded, and Shepard was equally unlucky.

“Liara? Brooks? Do you read me?” Shepard all but shouted into the comm. Someone had to be listening. “Is anyone on this frequency?”

“The short answer is no,” the clone replied behind them. “They’re not.” All three whirled around to face the threat. Shepard pulled his assault rifle up, and fired a few shots at the barrier, trying to find a weak spot. Garrus and Tali added their technical expertise, but by the end of the clip, the barrier still held. The clone shook its head at their antics. “The longer answer involves your friends trapped in iridium vaults and forgotten for …” He paused, contemplating time. “Well, forever.”

“Others know about this. About you,” Shepard affirmed. “No one will believe you. The Alliance will stop you.”

“What do you think, Staff Analyst Brooks? Will the Alliance stop us,” the clone asked. Shepard watched, speechless, as Brooks sauntered around from behind the clone, a Cheshire grin spread across her face.

“I wouldn’t know,” she answered calmly, placing a casual elbow on the clone’s shoulder. “I don’t actually work for them.”

“Who are you?” Shepard asked, his voice deceptively calm. “And do you really think I won’t track you down?” Brooks shrugged in response.

“My name doesn’t matter. I never keep the same one for more than a few days. And the Illusive Man never found me, so I doubt you ever could. Hell, the Alliance can’t track me down; they think I’m four different women!” She laughed, clearly amused.

“So you’re Cerberus,” Shepard confirmed.

“That depends,” Brooks answered. “I left quite some time ago. Mr. Illusive and I didn’t quite see eye to eye. He was indoctrinated, and I did not wish the same fate on myself. But that may change, now that he’s out of the picture.”

“You could have come to me!” Shepard shouted in frustration. Why were these people brilliant and dumber than bricks in the same breath?! “We could’ve worked together.”

“You could say that we did. I put together all of the dossiers for your ‘suicide mission’,” she quipped. “The Salarian doctor, the Quarian, the mysterious Turian ‘Archangel’. So very nice to meet you both, by the way,” she purred.

“Charmed,” Garrus parried while Tali huffed, refusing to even answer the woman.

“But they were all mistakes,” she continued. “We were a pro-human group who started looking to aliens for help. So I bided my time, and when I found another you and an opportunity that agreed with me, I acted. And soon everything will be worth the wait.”

“Why,” Shepard pressed. “What was the point of all this?”

“The point was dual-fold,” Brooks explained. “The _Normandy_ is the best fighting vessel that humanity has right now. And what are you using it for? Dealing with alien problems in the Terminus? Helping alien homeworlds? You have more than enough to do for humanity here! And it will have many different purposes, once we acquire it.”

“Like what?” Tali challenged.

“Like, say there’s some crowding occurring on Earth, and a lovely Salarian colony nearby. The _Normandy_ and Rear Admiral Shepard could, oh, threaten them with bombardment. Then everyone’s problems are solved. And should Cerberus be reformed, it would make a lovely flagship. But we had to make sure you were docked and away from the ship to acquire it. We originally contemplated doing all this on Rannoch. But to get all of the benefits of being you, we need your Spectre code. So we put a locked door in your path.” Shepard suddenly realized where they had done this: on the walkway, on his way to meet up with Ashley. “But then you survived the hit and brought your Asari pet into it. So I had to tie up loose ends.” She had killed Khan. And they led her to his doorstep. “And then your sex bot had to recover the data. So we had to contain the situation.” He’d lead his team into a trap. He’d left Ashley alone. “It was really quite easy to get you to trust me. All I had to do was act helpless and young, and I might as well have been a third child for you.” She laughed, and Shepard felt his rage boiling. He’d had more than enough.

“The minute, the _second_ I get out of here, I’m going to take your head and mount it on the CIC.” He spat, pointing at Brooks. “Then, I’m going to mount his head next to yours!” His finger flicked to the clone. “Then I’m going to take both of your heads, and space them out the airlock!” He shouted, his arm thrown out to match the statement. For a moment, he saw Brooks and the clone glance at each other in concern.

“That sounds very dramatic. And if someone like, say, Admiral Shepard made that threat, I’d be worried,” Brooks drawled. “But you’re not Shepard. Not anymore.” With that, the clone turned from them and walked to a nearby terminal.

“What are you doing?” Shepard asked.

“Setting things right,” the clone responded. “Remember this,” he prompted. An audio file played.

“You are the first Human Spectre, Commander. This is a great accomplishment for you and your species,” Councilor Tevos stated. It was the day he became a Spectre.

“Except somewhere along the way, you forgot about your entire species,” the clone interrupted. “You’ve saved and protected more alien lives than you have Human. You destroyed a pro-human organization that was willing to stand up to the alien bullies. You gave the aliens their power back when you could have taken it for humanity. And it’s time that someone who remembers the promises you made stand up and make good on them.”

“I don’t care what species they are. Every life counts. But I wouldn’t expect a clone to understand that,” Shepard spat. This was what made him furious. Species didn’t have to matter. Every individual was worthwhile.

“You know the one thing they can’t duplicate?” The clone suddenly asked, “Our handprint. Life gives it its shape, not DNA. And that’s a problem. Or rather, it was.” He turned back to the console. “Computer: update Council records. Subject: Shepard, Human Spectre.” The computer then overwrote the data with the new handprint.

“Now if you’ll excuse us, the _Normandy_ needs its captain. So, I should go,” the clone stated, his posture and voice dripping with superiority.

“Farewell, Admiral,” Brooks said. “I suppose this is where ‘legends’ go to die.” And with that, the pair walked off and the vault slid into slot, locking them in darkness. Garrus and Tali lit up their omni-tools, furiously trying to hack a way out of vault.

“So, that went well,” Garrus casually commented, and Shepard shook his head.

“He said ‘I should go’. Do I really sound like that,” he asked as he began to pace in the vault. The pair shot looks over his head.

“I’m pretty sure they were the first words you said to me,” Tali answered.

“Crazy thought, but maybe we should get back to hacking,” Garrus gently interrupted.

“Why has no one told me this? I’m open to feedback!” Shepard announced, quite insulted. These were his friends.

“Well, I’m not one to talk. I’ve been told I say ‘calibrating’ more than a Turian should,” Garrus quipped, and Shepard had to stifle a chuckle.

“You could try ‘I’ll be seeing you’ if you want to try something new,” Tali suggested. “Though I don’t know who you’ll try it on. We don’t have much air left. Maybe an hour at most?”

“I could say ‘I’ll talk to you later’. Because I never do. Leave them wanting more,” Shepard thought out loud. Yeah, that sounded good.

“So now do you want to tell us why you aren’t more concerned about this?” Garrus prompted.

“Oh, Glyph,” Andy called out on the comm. “You still out there?”

“Yes, Admiral,” Glyph responded a few seconds later.

“Unlock this damned thing, and go find the others,” he ordered. “No one steals my ship. And how’s the signal block coming? I need to get in touch with Ash.”

“I will proceed at once,” Glyph responded. “And we still have not been able to break their encryption. We should have more luck when we are outside of the Archives.”

“Then get Cortez and Joker on their way here. We’re going to get the _Normandy_ back,” Shepard announced.

 

Someone pinged the door, and Ash hurried to answer. A glance through the camera above the door showed Andy, glancing back occasionally. She opened the door, but as Andy turned towards her, two mercenaries came around the corner. With only moments to keep them all out of fire, Ash pulled one of Shepard’s guns from its holster, opening fire on the attackers.

“Thanks,” he said breathlessly. “Let’s get inside. The others will be here soon. There’s a group of those Cat 6’s heading here. Where are the boys? We’re leaving.” Ash immediately turned towards the den.

“In the den. You keep the coast clear, and I’ll bring them.” She ran into the den, holstering the gun in her back belt. “Adri, walk quickly with Mommy and Daddy. We have to trick the bad guys.” She slung the readied bag of baby items onto one shoulder, holding the baby with the same hand and grabbing Adri’s hand with the other. As they hurried into entrance, Andy held out his hand.

“We’ll move quicker if we each carry one. Our ride is waiting for us,” he stated, and Ash quickly handed him James and the pistol. She then lifted Adri into her arms, and the four ran outside. But when they reached two identical skycars, Ash saw Cat 6 agents in the driver’s seat.

“Where is every –” Ash started to ask, but stopped when Shepard turned around. He was still holding James, but had a knife pressed to his body. She pressed Adri’s face into the crook of her neck, trying to process what was happening.

“Get in the second car with the other boy. If you do any funny business,” he glanced at James. “Well, let’s just say that it won’t end pleasantly for your family.” There was no way for Ash to save her youngest child, so she did the only thing she could: she moved soundlessly to the second car and prayed that she could find a way to save her family.


	5. No Fighting in the War Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> POV changes ahoy! I’m inserting breaks wherever a view point shifts. Each break is roughly chronological.

By the time they all ran out of the Archives to the drop point, both pilots were waiting.

“I’ve got room for Shepard plus two,” Joker announced. “And figure it out fast, because the other Shepard is stealing my ship!”

“Whoever doesn’t come with me will head over to the apartment to warn Ash and Bailey,” Shepard instructed before singling out EDI and Garrus.

“Garrus,” Tali shouted before the sky car’s doors closed. “Make sure you shoot the clone for me.”

“Consider it done,” Garrus answered, and she and Liara hoped into Steve’s sky car. With that, everyone took off.

“This is what I hate about shore leave,” Joker commented after a few tense minutes of trying to contact C-Sec. “I swear, you park the ship for five minutes.” He shook his head as he trailed off.

“Can you contact Citadel flight control and get them to delay the departure request?” Shepard asked.

“I can pull a few strings if we need to,” Garrus added.

“I tried. All the comm lines in the area are jammed, probably to make it easier for them to steal my ship!” Joker shouted. _He_ really _doesn’t like anyone messing with his ship,_ Andy thought.

“We’ll stop them,” Garrus assured, and Shepard was glad for the intervention. Honestly, EDI seemed to be taking this better than Joker, and she was the one that would be separated.

“Shepard,” EDI spoke in a worried tone, and everyone’s attention snapped to her. “Your clone has entered the ship and is attempting to –” With that, her body began jerking, and her visor changed color multiple times before shutting off as her body went limp.

“Crap,” Garrus said. _Well, that about sums it up._ But as they all began to think of ways to get her running again, she ‘woke up’ and sat back up in her seat.

“I’m okay!” She cheerfully intoned, smiling at them despite the fact that one eye was looking in a different direction than the other.

“Really?” Joker asked, voicing everyone’s doubts. At that, EDI corrected her eye before she smiled at them again. Satisfied that she was well enough to function, Shepard settled back in his seat.

“The clone has disabled my control of the _Normandy_ as well as all sensory input. I cannot lock him out or counteract his commands. But more importantly, I believe that the other team will arrive to an empty apartment.” Shepard felt for her, even if he didn’t know what she was going though. Though he guessed it would be similar to loosing sensation in a limb and watching someone else control it. But her final statement made him concerned.

“Why?” He asked, unsure if he wanted the answer.

“The clone was carrying James, and Ashley was carrying Adrien. They were all surrounded by mercenaries, so I do not believe Ashley is fooled by the clone.” Shepard’s gut clenched in fear. This was exactly what he had wanted to avoid. He didn’t want his family in danger. But as he processed EDI’s words, he fully grasped what she meant. She was prioritizing the safety of his family over her distress of being disconnected from the ship, and that made him grateful to the AI and proud of her progress in finding her humanity.

“Are you still fit for duty?” Shepard asked. As much as he needed her help, he didn’t need her endangering that platform to join them. She could be better suited for infiltrating the ship and securing Ash and the kids.

“I’m experiencing a significant feedback loop in my head, and an increased desire to kill your clone.”

“Get in line,” Andy grumbled. That clone had officially signed his own death note. No one touched his family and lived to tell the tale. He only hoped that Ash would find some way to help them on the _Normandy_.

“Yeah, well whatever you do, hurry. If the ship gets to FTL, we may not be able to get it back,” Joker warned.

“That’s not going to happen,” Shepard stated. No one would take his family away from him. He’d fought Reapers and death itself to be near them again. Nothing would separate them now. From there, they rode silently until they reached the _Normandy’s_ docking bay.

“Okay, Citadel systems are targeting the car. Any closer, and they’ll open fire,” Joker warned. Shepard nodded in response. This was as close as they could get, and he’d take it.

“Get out of the area and get Bailey and anyone else to stop the ship leaving,” he ordered, and Joker quickly took off. Soon afterwards, more mercenaries began to open fire on them. None of them lasted long. But one thing continued to bother Shepard as they closed the distance to the ship.

“When we want to take off, there’s a half-hour of pre-flight checks! They just gun the engines and go?” It just didn’t seem fair to Shepard.

“Most of those checks are unnecessary!” EDI supplied. That would have been nice to know during the war. But Shepard tucked that knowledge into the back of his mind, and finished fighting the mercenaries in front of him. Once the mercenaries were dead, everyone sprinted into docking tube, and nearly ran into Specialist Traynor.

“Wait what?” Her look of confusion was an unnecessary confirmation that the clone was already on board. While Shepard stopped to deal with Traynor, Garrus and EDI moved to the door, quickly hacking their way back. “You were just on the _Normandy_. You … you fired me!” She shouted in outrage. “Dishonorable discharge for conduct unbecoming!” The petite woman was all but shaking in rage. “You kicked me off the ship with barely enough time to grab my toothbrush!” It seemed that he would have to prove his identity.

“On our first trip to the Citadel during the war, you downloaded ten different kid’s games to help make it easier on me during down time. You’re secretly scared of getting too attached to the kids and getting transferred off the _Normandy_ , and you really want to find the right woman so you can have kids like mine,” he rattled off. No one else would know that except for Ash, and she didn’t even know the second secret. At that, Traynor’s look of confusion only increased.

“Yes,” she conceded, “I told you all that.”

“And I remember because I’m the real Shepard,” he responded, hoping that she would understand and trust him. Fortunately she did, and she turned her head back towards the ship, narrowing her eyes.

“And _someone_ just threw me off the ship. If it wasn’t you,” she trailed off, trying to put the pieces together.

“It was a clone. Sort of a long story,” Garrus offered for an explanation. They all wished they could explain it better, but now wasn’t the time to talk. They had to get on the ship now.

“I can explain more later, for now,” he was about to ask for her help getting back on when she interrupted him.

“Then why were Ashley and the kids …” Traynor seemed to come to the answer on her own, suddenly moving quickly to the door. “We have to get back in! No one better hurt them, or – or” Traynor stuttered trying to find an appropriate threat, but Shepard quickly brought her back with a touch of the shoulder. EDI’s attempted to hack the final door to the _Normandy’s_ airlock just failed.

“They’re about to take off!” Garrus announced, concern lacing his voice.

“Is there anyone aboard who can still help us?” Shepard asked.

“It is unlikely that Ashley will be able to help. They will most likely keep a close eye on her,” EDI remarked.

“Other than that, I was the only one working on the ship, since I was there for the retrofits back on Earth.” Traynor answered.

“Then that means that you know this ship better than anyone here,” Shepard responded. He was not going to leave Ashley on her own. “Is there any way you can get me inside?” Traynor looked around for a moment before she moved around him.

“There’s an emergency hatch for evacuations,” she explained. “It should be right … here!” She exclaimed triumphantly as she removed a bit of flooring, revealing a hatch. Shepard leaned down, interfacing with his omni-tool to open it.

“It’s manually locked, and it’s only meant to be opened from the other side,” he reported. “Any ideas?”

“Triggering it would require extremely precise mass effect field manipulation,” EDI responded. At that, everyone looked at Traynor for another way in. Instead, she simply turned the toothbrush on.

~~~~~

Ash paced in Shepard’s cabin, her mind running through options. She would gladly fight the mercenaries outside the door. She had armor on, but she couldn’t risk a stray bullet hitting her children. Someone had already gone through the cabin and stripped it of any personal touches. She had already tried contacting EDI, and her omni-tool’s signature had been locked out of the _Normandy_. It wasn’t until the third time she passed by it that she realized just how she could use it. If she could pry open the vent, she could crawl down to the armory. Then she would be in business. But in the meantime, she needed to open the vent and hide her children without the guards catching on. _No one said being a Spectre would be easy,_ she conceded. She motioned for Adrien to quietly come over.

“There are bad guys on the ship, and Mom is going to try to fight them. I need you to be a brave boy for me. Can you do that,” she whispered in his ear. Adrien nodded slowly, and she smiled softly. He was more like his father than she would ever admit. “I’m going to put your brother in the bathroom, and then I need you to start making noise. I’m going to get that cover off. When I get it open, I need you to be very quiet with your brother. I will lock you two in there, and don’t open the door for anyone except me. Don’t even let your father in.” Adrien nodded again, and she pulled her son into a fierce hug. “You’re such a big, brave boy.”

~~~~~

 “Sir!” One of the mercenaries addressed him, and Andrew turned from his spot at the galaxy map. “Just before takeoff, _Normandy_ registered a perimeter access alert. One of the security hatches.” He was furious. There was only one answer for activity like that. And they needed to contain him before he did any more damage to their plan. But the fact that the Pretender had escaped his death irritated him. He was supposed to be the only Shepard now. The act of changing his handprint and taking his Spectre status was supposed to demoralize him, and taking his family was supposed to make him despair. But he clamped down on the unnecessary emotion.

“Him,” he answered simply. “Where?” The Pretender had better be dead in five minutes, or Andrew would _not_ be satisfied.

“Unknown,” the gun replied. _Unacceptable_. “When we shut down the AI, we disabled a lot of security systems. Shepard could be anywhere on the ship.” _Intolerable._ _A distinct failure._ And more importantly, _he_ was Shepard. That was what the entire charade they had been doing previously was all about: becoming Shepard. He stepped down from the galaxy map.

“ _Shepard_ is standing right in front of you. Are we clear?” The mercenary all but visibly gulped, acutely aware of his mistake. “And double the security on the other Spectre. She tries any funny business, and let a bullet off. That should make her more submissive.”

“It’s better this way,” Brooks soothing voice floated with her as she stepped down from the galaxy map as well. “Wouldn’t you rather take him down yourself?” For a moment, his head was full of a wild fantasy: himself, standing atop the corpse of the Pretender, the true superior. Taking whatever else he preferred from the Pretender’s life. The spoils from this victory would not only be the _Normandy_ , but an unprecedented power for humanity. All would look to him in thanks and praise. He would be the right hand of the new Cerberus. They would be reborn as the hydra was, more heads springing forth from the bloody stump. As Brooks stepped into the elevator, he moved to join her.

“Armory,” he ordered. “Find him,” he shouted to the hired gun. “Slow him down.” They wouldn’t be able to stop the Pretender. But he was looking forward to the showdown now.

~~~~~

Five minutes later, the three were crawling down the cramped corridor, and Shepard was still shaking his head. Today simply couldn’t get strange enough. They’d sent Traynor to warn Citadel Flight Control and armed her with a few key phrases from Garrus.

“If you’d told me this morning that a toothbrush was going to save the _Normandy,_ I’d have been very skeptical,” he told Garrus, who gave a good-natured chuckle.

“Only about the toothbrush?” he quipped, and Shepard shot the Turian a dirty look.

“Pretty sure we broke Traynor’s toothbrush getting the hatch open,” Andy said, changing the subject. “Remind me to reimburse her for that.”

“Shepard?” EDI prompted, and he didn’t even have to respond to know what she was going to say.

“ _Later_ ,” he emphasized. “Remind me later.”

“What do they size this for, Keepers?” Garrus asked, and with a glance back, he could tell that the Turian was truly uncomfortable, trying to keep a good hand on his weapon while moving forward at a reasonable pace. But with so many mercs above them, they had to keep silent. If they made too much noise, they made easy targets.

“Quiet. Can’t risk them hearing us up top,” Shepard warned.

“Sorry,” Garrus whispered back, and Shepard nodded in response. As they crept forward, they heard the mercenaries discuss finding him and killing him if need be. Unfortunately, they didn’t mention anything about Ash, but they apparently knew that he was on board, which took part of their element of surprise away. After waiting for the mercenaries to pass by the spot they were hiding in, Shepard started a silent countdown, ending with hitting the button. The three leapt out of the small area and began decimating the troops there.

“One of my favorite places to fight!” Garrus shouted over the din.

“The CIC of a warship?” Shepard responded, unsure if he shared the Turian’s taste in gunfight backdrops.

“Right there above the gardens and below the electronics shops!” The Turian crowed.

“And antique shops if I recall!” Shepard shouted over one merc’s shout, chuckling to himself. He somehow managed to have the strangest friends.

“Only if they’re classy,” he clarified. Yup, Shepard had such strange friends. Soon after, the three had eliminated all of the troops. As they walked around, EDI walked towards the war room.

“It is strange moving through the _Normandy_ without sensory access or control,” she commented. “I feel … blind,” she confessed. “But I intend to correct that.” With that, she opened the door to the War Room. “I am going to re-allocate myself to the _Normandy._ I may leave the piloting in their hands while I attempt to free Ashley and your children, Shepard. But if I retake the controls, the ride may deviate from optimal smoothness.” Both men chuckled as she moved towards the access hatch to medbay.

“Good hunting,” Shepard called over the comm. From there, they moved to the elevators. The clone had to be somewhere, and Shepard didn’t intend to let anyone off easy.

~~~~~

With a plan in place, Ashley picked up James and placed him in the bathroom, cradled in a nest made from the blankets left on the bed. Then she motioned to Adrien, who began to loudly play with one of his space ships. Slowly but surely, she plied at the vent cover, slowly forcing it open with small, rhythmic creaks that Adri’s playing muffled and hopefully covered. Ash knew that precious time was passing as she slowly worked the cover open, but she couldn’t risk making too much noise.

Finally, after what seemed like forever to the Spectre, the cover pulled free. She had been putting so much of her weight into it that she almost fell over, but caught herself before she made too much noise. Adrien stopped for a moment, ready to race over to his mother, but she stilled him with a small motion.

“Alright,” she raised her voice. “I need to put James down for a nap. So I need you to be quiet for your little brother,” she winked to show that this was all part of the game of make-believe they were playing. Adrien nodded and walked obediently to the bathroom, sitting down besides his sibling.

“Now you remember what I told you earlier,” she instructed her elder son. “I’m going to lock this door, and only you have the key to it. You can only open this door to me. Don’t even let your father in.” Adrien nodded quietly, and she handed him the datapad containing the password.

“Major Shepard-Williams?” EDI’s voice suddenly came over her comm, and she had to stop Adri from crying out when he heard the familiar voice.

“EDI?” she whispered into the comm, unsure if she could trust the computer.

“I have re-integrated myself onto the _Normandy_ , and am going to send you weapons. I see that you were able to get the hatch open. I will send you instructions on how to get to Shepard and the clone.” With that, Ashley walked out of the bathroom to find her normal weapons layout in the chute where their armor normally appeared. But Ash wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Her omni-tool then pinged, outlining a route to the armory.

“I am also going to assist you in securing the children. If one of the mercenaries does realize that you are no longer there, I will send my mobile platform to assist, and keep the door locked.” Five years ago, Ash never would have known just how much she would trust an AI with her children. But this was now, and she did. So Ashley crossed back into the bathroom and quickly explained that EDI would keep Adrien company.

“Go get the bad guys, Mommy,” he whispered before she left.

“I will,” she responded, and the door closed.

~~~~~

Andrew looked around the armory, impressed by the array of weapons and armor he had to choose from. Brooks had already begun to choose armor for herself, and was getting the fabrication machines working on it. But his choice was important. There were so many different armors, ranging from ceremonial alien armor to N7 armor. While that tempted him, he refused to wear something made by an inferior alien, and he refused to conform to the Alliance’s ideals. They had bent to the aliens as Shepard had. The Alliance could have demanded that they assist in rebuilding Earth as payment for their foolishness, demanded tribute for use of their precious Citadel. But they had all been weak.

They would see. He would rid Sol System of alien invaders, and possibly a few systems outside of there. And while the Alliance was still reeling, he and Brooks would take the Alliance. Everything would work perfectly. He would finally get what he was due.

But most of the armor he skimmed over was alien-made. There was hardly any human armor. What did this Pretender think? That aliens would have human physiology in mind when making their armor?

As much as he didn’t like the idea of wearing Alliance armor, it would have to do. But once they were done, they were going to get some much nicer armor from a much better quality brand. Hopefully, there would be a better selection of weapons to choose from.

~~~~~

EDI had fortunately taken the _Normandy_ back, and sent them information about the clone’s location. So the pair hopped into the elevator and waited for it to reach the shuttle bay.

 “Shepard, do you remember how I told you to deal with Kai Leng?” Garrus asked suddenly.

“Take all my anger and frustration, bottle it up, and use it to rearrange all the molecules in his body?” Shepard responded.

“Do that again, except with your clone and Brooks,” the Turian instructed. “This is your family and there is no way I will let them win against you.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Shepard responded. “I’ve already done it.”

With that, the pair stepped out of the elevator, slowly moving forward. But when Shepard caught motion out of the corner of his eye, he felt even more disgust and disdain for the clone. Of all things for him to wear, he had to wear Andy’s N7 armor. He had done none of the work, experienced none of the trials, yet he wore it as though the privilege and honor was his. And Shepard was fuming.

“That’s creepy,” Garrus commented, and Shepard grunted in response. But then the clone opened fire on them, and they both jumped behind cover after exchanging some fire.

“You want to stop shooting up my ship?” The clone shouted at them.

“It’s _not_ your ship!” Shepard shot back.

“It will be!” The clone fired off. “I’ve taken your name, your rank, your family, even your fingerprints!”

“And you left me to die. Except I didn’t. Do you think fake fingerprints will fool the Council? Or Hackett? What have you done to Ash and the kids?” Shepard shouted, furious and desperate all in the same breath.

“Nothing that a few well-placed threats can’t persuade a person to do. Let’s just say that as long as she does what I say, no one will doubt that it’s me, and your little shits don’t get their throats slit,” the clone responded. “And as long as the two Human Spectres agree, then we don’t have to worry about anyone interfering.”

“If you ever lay so much as a finger on my children, I swear to you, I will make your death long, drawn out, and painful,” Shepard threatened. “How would that work into your little plan?” He taunted, turning the corner. But no one was there.

~~~~~

Ashley finally managed to wiggle out into the cargo bay. They’d had several stacks of boxes all over for the maintenance crews, so she was able to hide from most views while still getting glimpses of the situation. She’d heard gunfire when she entered, but was unable to see if anyone was hit. Given the lack of groaning, she had to assume that both parties were uninjured.

But as Andy approached a weapons bench near Vega’s old spot, she saw the clone slip out. He then began to circle back. Now Ash had two choices: attack him in a spot where she couldn’t get backup, or hide and hope she could help Andy later. Given the bad location she was in, she decided to wait. If the clone was anything like Shepard’s physical equal, it would be a tough fight, and she would need backup. So she pressed herself into a crevice and held her breath while the clone passed.

Now as the clone circled Andy, she circled the clone. He taunted Andy, and Andy made threats in return. When Andy was finally at the old bench, the clone was long gone. He was, in fact, about to attack. And that just didn’t work with Ash’s plans at all.

So she shot the clone with a concussive shot. The clone had just begun to run at her husband, so the round had the additional benefit of severely unbalancing him. Which made him perfect to run into.

She hadn’t realized just how good it felt to tackle someone to the ground for a good session of ‘punch the crap out of whatever the fuck is pissing you off’, since she hadn’t done that since the War. But this brought back all the good memories of stress relief rolling back.

“That’s what you get for threatening my children!” She shouted after a particularly good punch. The clone’s face was full fury and rage, and he moved to push her off him with a swift kick. But she was ready. As he pushed off on her, she grabbed his armor and planted her feet. She then used his momentum to somersault him on top of her, and the momentum she added to continue, landing with him still on his back and now out of breath. She felt a bullet whiz over her head, and looked up to see Garrus lining his weapon up.

“Brooks, you know it’s rude to interrupt a clone bonding session!” The Turian taunted as Brooks slithered back into cover.

“Hatchet squad to the shuttle bay!” Brooks shouted from her hiding place. But that was a long enough distraction for the clone to forcefully shove Ash off. She saw him pull a pistol out, but as she moved to do the same, the weapon fritzed and almost burned the clone’s hand. The clone spared a withering glance at Garrus, then retreated to cover.

“Get a squad into the cabin and kill those little shits now!” The clone shouted into his comm, and Ash grew even more furious. But she was forced into cover as Hatchet squad arrived.

“Moving to intercept their troops,” EDI informed them over the comm, and Ashley’s fear relinquished its grip on her stomach. With that, she unhooked her assault rifle and began picking off any members of Hatchet squad she could see. As they fought, she heard Joker and Cortez cut through the jamming and talk about a Plan B. Hopefully, that would give them the edge in the fight against the clone.

~~~~~

Joker had done some crazy things before, but this had to top them. Here he was, sitting in a skycar with Cortez, flying directly in front of his own ship to keep it from disappearing from him.

“Never trust Plan B if it involves bait,” he muttered to himself.

“The _Normandy’s_ about to open fire, I have to move!” Cortez shouted, bringing the car out of the ship’s firing line.

“You have to stay within 30 degrees to keep the ship from FTL jumping!” Joker reminded. He’d worked so hard for that ship over the years. He’d lost the SR-1, but there was no way he would lose the SR-2.

“The _Normandy_ will not open fire on you. I have effectively jammed their guns,” a welcome voice informed them, and Joker felt his heart soar.

“EDI?”

“Yes, Jeff?”

“How did you get through their AI block?”

“I am not fully past it, but I can block most of their actions. However, I am occupied at the moment and do not have access to my full processing power. I must ensure that my mobile platform can protect Adrien and James while Ashley, Garrus, and Shepard fight the clone, that the ship does not fire on you, and that the small crew they have does not blow up the ship trying to shut me down.” At that point, Jeff stopped questioning her. She obviously had enough on her plate, even with quantum computing.

“But I must inform you that the clone has had some of the mercenaries launch a shuttle to fire on you, so you should initiate evasive patterns to keep yourself out of harm. I cannot risk allocating enough processing power to hacking the shuttle,” she informed them.

“Don’t worry EDI,” he responded. “We’ve got this.”

~~~~~

After the shuttle left, Andy felt concern for Joker and Cortez, but the best thing he could do was continue fighting the clone. And EDI hadn’t shown any signs of needing help, so the kids were protected. Ashley shouted a warning about the cargo bay door, and Shepard noted that. It would be easy to fly off of it. That would spell certain death. But the other him seemed to throw any caution to the wind, starting a new attack with several mercenaries.

 “My team is just as good as yours!” The clone insisted. Shepard almost rolled his eyes. That clone had a small army worth of mercenaries that hadn’t been able to stand up to his squad.

“A team?” Garrus answered. “You have minions! Nothing better than the cannon fodder I saw on Omega And you’re running out,” he added as Shepard parried shots with the clone again. The clone was starting to get sloppy.

“I can fight for humanity!” The clone carried on. “All you have are the vain hopes of a tired old father!”

“That tired old dad is kicking your ass. Keep it up, and someone won’t have dessert after supper!”Ashley taunted. After that, the other him took to hiding behind crates and taking pot shots. But just when Andy felt like the mercenaries had thinned out, the clone appeared and rushed him, omni-blade extended.

“You’re just cybernetics. Scared, worn-out Cerberus tech!” The clone taunted as they locked blades, but Shepard knew better.

“You know nothing of these scars! I earned them on Ilos, the Collector base, and Palaven! I’ve earned them protecting the galaxy! You gained yours in a Petri dish! What have you earned?” He challenged as he threw the clone off. The clone didn’t respond to that, but instead tried to pull his shotgun out. Quickly, Shepard rolled to the side to put distance between them. It seemed that he had nowhere to go but back towards the open cargo bay door.

 “You betrayed our entire family and crew, Brooks!” Ashley shouted as she advanced on Brooks’ hiding place. “You don’t get to walk away from that!”

“It was easy!” She taunted. “You were so eager to help the lovable rookie! All I had to do was simulate child-like qualities, and I was a third child to you!” But the small woman didn’t stay in place long, running as Ashley shot her shields.

But as the two women fought, the clone continued to fight with him. Both men were attempting to outmaneuver each other, and the pair drifted towards the edge of the cargo bay. Finally, the clone shot Shepard’s gun out of his hands, and Andy had taken far too much. Screw a bullet, he was going to teach this clone a lesson. So he started running, gaining momentum as the clone threw his gun down. As he slammed into the duplicate, he realized just how close they were to the edge. His momentum had thrown them both over the safety railing. And his momentum hadn’t stopped. In fact, the ground beneath them had slopped downwards, signaling the fast-approaching drop-off. Finally, Shepard planted one foot while his back was to the ground, slowing the momentum before re-starting his own. Once he was on top, he used his other foot to keep from being rolled as he wound up for a punch. One, two good hits landed on the clone before he interrupted Shepard’s footing, throwing him back. Andy landed hard on his back, stunning him for a moment, which the clone used to stand. But just as the clone began his own offense, the ship shook, and Shepard couldn’t maintain his grip on the floor, only just managing to grab and hold onto the edge of the cargo hanger door. As Andy looked over, the clone was in the same predicament.

“Look at you,” the clone growled as they both tried to get a better grip on the ship. “What makes you so damned special? Why you and not me?” But as Andy looked back at the ship, he saw Garrus and Ashley race towards him.

“Hang on!” Garrus shouted. The pair immediately threw themselves down, Garrus planting himself while Ashley stretched out as far as she could, grabbing his arm and pulling him up.

“Gotcha!” She cried as he got far enough to where she could hook her arms under his armpits, securing the rest of his body. “Don’t scare me like that again,” she reprimanded as his feet finally touched solid ground.

“I always try,” he answered before he pecked her on the cheek. From his view, he could see Brooks, bloodied and limping, turn from the cargo bay door. It seemed his clone really did lack a crew. And suddenly, Andy felt a pang of sympathy. His clone had never been able to see a different view of the galaxy, only what Brooks showed. And as strange as it was, he deserved a second chance. If he wasn’t willing to show mercy, how would he ever set an example for his children? _I must be crazy_ , he thought as he approached the edge again, offering his hand.

~~~~~

“Hang on!” The Turian shouted, the other Spectre close behind it. Once they reached the edge they stopped. And for a moment, the clone thought that they would leave the Pretender to his well-deserved fate. But instead the pair threw themselves onto the floor. The Turian planted itself closer to the edge, but held onto the Spectre’s ankle. The woman stretched herself out, though Andrew was confused. The Turian could easily let go, and the pair of Spectres would plummet to their deaths. Why would they place faith in a Turian? Its ancestors had tortured theirs. There was no reason for trust. The woman seemed to completely forget this particular argument as she grabbed onto the Pretender.

“Gotcha!” She cried once she could hook her arms under his armpits. Strangely, the Turian didn’t let go of them, and helped to pull the Pretender onto safe ground. Once she helped the Pretender to his feet, a look of concern passed across her face. “Don’t scare me like that again,” she reprimanded.

“I always try,” the Pretender answered, a small smile on his face as he kissed the woman. The Pretender looked towards the shuttle bay, and Andrew followed the other man’s gaze.

There was Brooks. He would be alright. She would know what to do to get him back in the game. She always did. But then she looked at him, and he knew that look. He got it at the end of every training session they did. And she would reprimand him if he did poorly.

But there was no clinical gaze to it. He could read the fear in her eyes. _She_ was afraid. And suddenly, he realized just how dire the situation was. She was injured, and there were three of them waiting for her. But surely there was enough cannon fodder left of Hatchet squad to hold them off. It wouldn’t take much. Then she turned from him, limping back further into the ship. There was no help. If he tried to call Hatchet squad himself, he would fall. _No,_ he reprimanded himself, _I will do this. I am a lone wolf. I am a lone wolf. No emotional baggage._ He just had to get back up. He just had to pull it together. The Pretender could, and so could he.

“Give me your hand!” The Pretender shouted. Andrew hadn’t realized how close the copy of himself was. And his hand was stretched out, offering a way out.

But no enemy would do that. An enemy would crush the opposition. It was what he did, what the copy should do. Shouldn’t it? That was what Brooks taught him. She also taught him to abandon anything that would hold you down. And he weighed her down.

But he had never been on the end of being dropped. He had never been dead weight. It was a strange thought, and now there was no one left to turn to but the enemy. How had the copy done it? Andrew had only been taught what Rear Admiral Shepard did wrong. He’d never known what he did right.

“And then?” Andrew asked. There was no place for him in the Alliance. None on the Citadel. Anyone who saw him would mistake him for the great Rear Admiral Shepard.

“And then you live!” The other him stated, he seemed to be trying to convey something, something important, something desperate. But Andrew had never learned how to interpret those looks, only that they meant that the target had something to lose.

What did he have to live for? He was no soldier, if his test against Shepard and his crew was any judge. But he wasn’t a civilian. He didn’t know of a place where he could live without scrutiny. Maybe this was what he was meant for.

“For what?” He quietly asked. He didn’t expect an answer. There was no answer. None fit for a Human. And so he let go. As he fell, he wondered what could have been, what it would have been like to be real, to be _Shepard_.

 

He had two children. He would spend all of his free time with them, hearing small feet run across metal corridors and larger laughs echo down them.

He had a wife. They would eat together with the kids, and she would tuck the children into bed at night.

He had squadmates, companions. They would work together, share jokes over a strong drink. He would talk shop with the Quarian all the time. The Turian would make a good tactician. The Asari would be the biotic powerhouse. He’d even worked with a Drell assassin. The Drell probably would probably be secretive. There was even an Asari Justicar, though she was stoical. He’d had a Salarian colleague, a very clinical soul. He’d worked with Humans of all types, each holding a unique view of life.

He was a Spectre, and had been respected for his service to the Council. He was also a Rear Admiral and held the ear of Alliance Parliament. When he said something, things happened.

 

On and on he went. Before too long, Andrew had built a world for himself inside his head. He lived this world, and reveled in it. A small part of him knew that it wasn’t real, but that didn’t matter. He wasn’t real, so what was wrong with a little delusion? _It would be nice_ , he thought. _Perhaps I would even call my squadmates ‘fri_ –

~~~~~

“Give me your hand!” Andy shouted. The clone looked up, and Andy saw fear and hatred wash over the clone.

“And then?” The clone responded.

“And then you live!” Andy answered. It was better than death, than a life unlived. The clone looked at Shepard, and Andy saw several emotions flit across his face so fast Andy couldn’t tell them apart.

“For what?” The clone quietly asked. But before Shepard could answer, the clone let go. There was no way to survive the fall. After that, the three walked back to the cargo bay, closing the door, while EDI took full control of the _Normandy’s_ flight, guiding them back to the docking bay. Ash went back up to the loft to get the kids, while EDI cleaned out the crew quarters and Garrus helped everyone dock.

           

 “Fortunately, they weren’t here long enough to do any real damage,” Cortez summed up some time later. “Although I may need the crew’s help cleaning up the shuttle bay.” It was obvious that he did need help from the state of it all. Liara would probably be one of the best bets, since she could move the heaviest objects with her biotics.

“Plus, they overloaded the shuttle’s heat diffusion system trying to fire at us. I don’t know if you noticed, but shuttle boy did some crazy stunt-flying to keep us in one piece,” Joker remarked, and Andy knew that it was high praise from one pilot to another.

“Hey, it’s always nice to fly something a little more maneuverable than the Kodiak,” Steve shrugged, taking the praise in stride.

“How about you, EDI?” Shepard prompted. The AI smiled in response.

“I am once more in control of the _Normandy_. Thank you for asking, Shepard,” she responded. He could only imagine how good it felt to be back where she belonged.

“Good. Were there any surviving mercenaries?”

“Just her. The Alliance is going to take her to a high-security prison, see what she knows about Cerberus,” Joker explained, gesturing at Brooks.

“I’ll be more than happy to cooperate with the authorities,” Brooks cooed. The sight of the woman still made him furious.

“You are getting a chance to redeem yourself, Brooks. Don’t waste my generosity,” he chastised. Brooks only grinned.

“Admit it,” she oozed. “Part of you liked having me around, looking up to the legend. A new rookie.” She smiled a crocodile’s grin. Shepard turned away from her, trying to curb his anger. “We had some laughs. And maybe we’ll have more someday.”

“No. We won’t,” Shepard corrected, turning back to her. How long would it take her to get this idea through her head? “You’re going to stay in your cell and do your time.”

“Oh, are you afraid I’ll escape?” A new glint appeared in her eyes. “Afraid I’ll come back for revenge? Try to hurt your family again? Is Rear Admiral Shepard pleading for his family’s life? For his own life?” He placed his own face inches from hers.

“I’m pleading for yours.” At that, Brooks seemed to finally understand, though she seemed reluctant to admit it.

“How thoughtful of you. I suppose I’m heading for a cell then.” With that, Garrus secured a pistol on his weapon rack and escorted her off the _Normandy_ and into the waiting arms of C-Sec.

Shepard then spent several minutes helping Steve group different types of cargo together before Ash walked out of the elevator with James napping on one shoulder and Adrien sleepwalking at her side. Andy smiled at them and crossed over to pick up Adrien, who yawned and settled his head on his father’s shoulder.

“I don’t know about you, Mom, but I think it’s bed time,” Andy remarked.

“Oh yeah, it was bed time a while ago. This has just been too much excitement,” she replied. The kids didn’t even have the energy to protest.

“You two ready to leave us to clean-up duty?” Joker laughed, waving them off as he spoke.

“Yeah, we’ll head back over here some time tomorrow,” Andy answered, and Ash nodded in agreement. Everyone wished them a good night, and the family walked out of the _Normandy_ as the crew began to walk back onto the ship, waylaying them as everyone offered a few words of relief and bid them goodnight.

 “Man, I love shore leave,” Ashley sighed, hooking her free hand into the crook of Shepard’s free elbow as they walked towards a real C-Sec shuttle.

 “Come on,” Shepard began to pull Ashley forward. “Maybe we can take some actual time off. No explosions or anything. Just us.”

“Promise?” Adrien asked. They all shared a smile.

“Promise. There’s an arcade near the apartment that we can see tomorrow.” Adrien smiled against his father’s neck before he settled back down to sleep.

Shore leave always was the best of times.

**Author's Note:**

> Just checking in again! I wanted to make sure that everyone understood the main differences between canon and this AU. They are the fact that Shepard had a child with Ashley between ME1 and ME2, Shepard learned about his son during ME3 (and they had a second son after the Reaper Wars), Anderson lived, and James and Wrex died after ME3.


End file.
